


Avoidance

by LittleRedRoseontheValley (TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns)



Category: My Two First Loves (Visual Novel)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Friendship, High School, Homecoming, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-10
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 00:27:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26397889
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheLifeAndLiesOfFerns/pseuds/LittleRedRoseontheValley
Summary: Emma is avoiding Mason for weeks. He is not going to let it rest.
Relationships: Mason Jennings/Ava Lawrence, Mason Jennings/Main Character (My Two First Loves), Noah Harris/Main Character (My Two First Loves)
Kudos: 1





	Avoidance

Emma had loved Mason for a long, long time. She could not even remember how long it has been. Perhaps it was ever since she first met him at kindergarten, at the tender age of four, before she even knew how to read, much less what love was. Perhaps it was later, but the point is, she could hardly picture her life without him in it, and for the most part, she did not have to. He was always there.

She started to notice she was having feelings for him because, one day in middle school, she began stuttering with nerves when she talked to him, suddenly sit up straight when he was around, she smiled more when he was in the room.

Around that time, Mason would always sit beside her; he was always involved in her conversations. Sometimes she would notice him staring at her. He even gave her one of his sweaters to wear in the Winter. It was warm and soft and smelled like him.

“Looks better on you than me.” He said, gingerly, grinning at the way the sleeves would end long past the tips of her fingers and the bottom of the sweater would reach her mid-thigh.

Why does she like Mason, you might ask? At first glance, he had lots of desirable qualities, he was handsome and athletic, all the straight girls in our grade wanted him, and while Emma was not immune to those charms, that was not what elicited that kind of feeling on her. She loved him because he was her friend, he was full of life, energetic, funny, kind. She knew him inside out and saw every little flaw, from the zit scar on his right cheek to his tendency to be entitled, but somehow it made she love him more.

For all of their time together, for every afternoon at their treehouse, for every sleepover in middle school, for every heart to heart under the bleachers, she never told him a think, and so she was to assume he had no idea. She was afraid of the heartbreak, she thought it was going to tear her apart, so she kept to herself, waiting for a sign he felt the same.

He provided plenty what one might consider to be a sign, to be fair. There were times, fleeting moments, where she was convinced maybe he did, and maybe he felt the same way, but then he would amend his behaviour with a cop-out, an assurance of his platonic intentions. He was one of her best friends, and it seemed that is what it seemed to remain forever.

Filled with a sense of dread, Emma decided multiple times to cut her losses and move on, trying her very best to push her feelings down, but soon after he would shoot a smirk her way or run a hand through his messy hair, laugh lightly or even touch her in any shape or form and then her resolve would crumble.

The status quo continued, day after day, for years. They were still friends, all through high school, they remained as close as it could get. Neither would make a move, one way or another, and so nothing would really change.

That was before, though. A lot of things happened in such close proximity, tumbling on the days leading to Summer, she does not know where she stands anymore. Not with Mason, not in life as a whole.

Emma understood her father’s pain, but he whisked her and her sister to Wyoming, away from the support networks they trusted back at home and did not provide anything in return. They were reeling from the loss, still, and then those support networks they left behind just fell apart, for both of them. Life went on, and left the Price girls behind.

She supposes she could not blame anyone else for falling for Mason, though. It had been so easy for her, after all, she does not even remember how she did it, how it all began. She did not have to think about it, it just happened and one day she realized his smile could put she into a good mood, his laugh could make her whole week.

It did not go to say that it was easy and enjoyable watching someone else fall for him, however.

Suddenly, all the closeness between them stopped dead in its track. He stopped sitting beside her, stopped talking to her as much, stopped staring and stopped lending her his sweaters.

Because, suddenly, out of the blue, he fell for _her_.

Ava Lawrence.

It was not as if the cheerleader was a bad person, much the opposite. Emma and Ava were good friends, and she knew all the good qualities she had, how much of a catch she was, but it hurt.

It hurt.

It hurt like nothing she had experienced before.

She could not blame him. Ava Lawrence was beautiful. She was gorgeous, smart, funny, effortlessly cool. Everything she wished she were but afraid she would never be.

Everything she tried to be.

Emma was tired of trying. Or trying to be okay. Of trying to even be their friend at this point. It hurt too much to watch them together. The way Mason’s eyes lit up as he looked at Ava, the way he smiled at her. She had witnessed them kissing too many times than she wanted to admit, her heart aching as she wished it was her.

However, it was Ava he was sitting besides, it was her he was speaking to, it was her he was staring at and it was her who was wearing his sweaters. That first time she saw her other best friend with his number jacket, Emma could swear she felt all the air leave her lungs.

At the same time, even her grip on the friendship they used to share was slipping away. She would say hello to him in the hallways and receive nothing but a friendly nod before his attention was back on his girlfriend. She would try to speak to him at lunch, but his focus was on her. She would sit beside him in classes, but went unnoticed.

It felt like he was disappearing from her. She knew how that felt, how that slow crawl towards absolute silence felt, and it was horrible. She did not think she deserved to go through that again, in such little span of time. She wanted to hate Mason for it, and she tried it, but her heart refused.

With Mason, away it went her entire friend group. It seemed as if they picked his side in a fight she did not remember having. She started feeling like an intruder in their group, a poser, she was feeling so lonely in their company.

So, she stopped trying, she stopped reaching out for them. She pulled back from her old crowd, and started hanging out with herself. Until she came across another outsider.

* * *

To anyone in the outside looking in, Noah Harris was nothing but trouble, someone Emma, the perfect doctor’s daughter, had no business talking to. She was not proud to say that, if it was the year before, she would have thought the same, but she would be wrong.

Yes, Noah did go through a year-long stint in juvie, for something he refused to disclose, and yes, his brother did manage to get her and her sister detained by the police, but he was nothing but a sweet boy whom she did not know what she would do without.

They began talking when she helped him catch up in the subjects he lost while he was imprisoned. Emma came to find out Noah was actually very smart, clever and witty, as well as someone light to be around, unconcerned and not at all dramatic. He was mature, hardened, and she enjoyed his perspective in life.

The more time Mason spent with Ava, the more time she spent with Noah, and it did not take long before she was reminded of how smart her newly-found friend truly was. It took less than a week for Noah to realise she had feelings for his athletic rival.

She denied it when he first asked, but then he just had this expression, of pity, of longing, that looked so much like Mason’s puppy eyes, yet they were such different people. Noah was that much kinder, that much more sensitive, and it cut her in a different way, but cut her all the same. So much so, she could not help but spill her secret.

That she had loved Mason for years, now.

Telling Noah made her feel simultaneously better and worse. Better because now she had someone to confide in and to help her getting through it, but worse because admitting her feelings made them so much more real, and that was scary.

The weeks went by, and soon the Fall season was upon them, and with it, came the Homecoming Dance. All the girls were filled with anxiety and expectation to see if they would be invited by their crushes and boyfriends.

Emma hoped against hope Mason would come out and ask her, but, as it was expected, he had asked Ava to the dance. Noah, then, took pity on her and asked her to go as friends instead. She accepted, because she liked him and appreciated him for what he wanted to do, even if she would have to ignore the sight of Mason and Ava dancing all night.

Homecoming was nice. Noah came pick her up at her house on his mother’s car, much to the chagrin of her father and delight of her sister. They arrived and were the talk of the school, the former golden girl trashing with the delinquent. They danced and it was cool, they took silly pictures and sneaked out to the roof to stargaze. Mason won Prom King and Ava was his Prom Queen, but she had not seen or talked to either of them that night.

It did not suck as much as she thought it would. She could even say she had fun.

* * *

The Monday after the dance arrived, and her spirits were at a months-long high.

Emma was hopeful that the year would finish in more of a hopeful note, that her difficult times were behind her.

For the following days, she saw Mason less and less, even if compared to what it was earlier in the Fall, partly due to his steady relationship, but mostly due to her conscious decision to avoid him.

Noah had tried to discourage her from a clean break. His argument was that she should not trash such a long friendship for such petty reasons, even if he really hated the guy and could not understand why she fell in love with him in the first place. Eventually, he came to realise how much it was hurting her to see Mason and Ava together, and so he began helping her avoid him whenever possible, instead.

However, in her hearts of hearts, she did not think Mason would notice, so it would not be a problem of she decided to step back. It was a reasonable assumption; he did not appear to notice for the first six months she did it. She noticed his absence greatly, of course, but she did not think he would be focused on her enough to feel her absence.

That was her mindset, up until one day when she was leaving her Chemistry class, when she suddenly found herself pressed between a wall and someone’s chest.

Her heart was beating as she looked up at the culprit, staring into the deep blue eyes of Mason Jennings.

“Why have you been avoiding me, Em?”

His voice was low and he was staring down at she with such intensity that she had to look away.

“I am not…”

“Don’t lie to me.” He interrupted her. “You’re worrying me. Why have you been avoiding me?”

His warm breath was hitting her face and she could not help but shiver, though she was not entirely sure if it was because of the Winter cold creeping from an open window in the hall or the proximity to the boy she loved.

As if he had just realized how close he was to her, as his chest was pressed against hers and his hands resting either side of her head, he stepped back a bit, pushing his blond hair out of his face as he looked at she expectedly, although a hand was resting on her shoulder as if he half anticipated she was going to run away.

Which now she thought about it, it was not such a bad idea.

“I, um... I’ve been avoiding a lot of people, not just you. You must have noticed I am not having lunch with the cheer squad. I’m just going through something and…”

“You’re not avoiding Noah.” He said softly as his hand dropped from her shoulder. A flash of hurt crossed his features but he covered it up quickly. “You’ve been having lunch with Noah. In fact, whenever I ask about you, the answer usually is that you’re with Noah.”

“He’s been helping me.”

“Why couldn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you come to me? Why _Noah_?” His hurt tone made she wince.

The last thing she ever wanted to do was cause him any pain. They were very close, perhaps she should not have assumed she could simply disappear and not have any implications towards him, but what else could she do?

“You’ve been kind of busy with... with Ava recently. I didn’t want to bother you.” She pressed her lips into a straight line and looked down. Suddenly her shoes were very interesting.

“You could’ve still come to me. I would’ve made time for you. We’re friends. Best friends, the last time I checked! I thought you trusted me. Not Noah, out of all people.”

“I couldn’t... I can’t tell you.” She said helplessly.

“Why?”

“I just can’t!”

“Don’t you trust me?” He whispered, that same hurt look flashing through his eyes.

“I do trust you Mason I just can’t... I didn’t think it was a good idea to come to you with this certain problem I have. You wouldn’t be able to help because even I can’t help it.” She tried to explain.

He looked like he was still fighting the hurt he felt and she sighed.

“I’m head over heels in love with you and you are in love with Ava.” She said quietly. “And I thought I could handle it but I can’t. I can’t because it hurts too much. I love you, Mason. And it’s crazy because I’m so young, but I know how I feel and that’s it. And I know you have Ava. And that’s fine, it is, but I couldn’t be around you for a while. I didn’t think you’d notice, I never thought I…”

Her voice fades in the echoes of the empty hallway.

“You love me?” He asked, his eyes slightly wider than usual.

“Yes.”

He was silent for a while and she could feel her heart beating faster and faster.

“Mason?” She whispered. “Please... say something.”

“I’m with Ava. You know that. I like her.” He scratched the back of his neck and stayed silent for a moment and she swallowed, nodding.

Her lips trembled and she fought to keep a tear from falling, “I know... I know, and I could never be her and I wouldn’t want to get in between you both so... That’s why I’ve been avoiding you.”

“I’m happy. I am happy.” He said determinedly. “I’m taken, I can’t…”

“I know, Mase.” She said softly. “I’m sorry. I never meant to tell you; I was trying to get over you. I just... I’m going to go.”

Mason watched helplessly as her figure retreated down the hallway and disappeared around a corner.

“I loved you, Emma.” he finally admitted to the empty space where she once stood. He shoved his hands in his pockets and kicked the floor, sighing before shaking his head. “I love you.”

* * *

“Emma, wait up!” Noah asked as he ran to fall in line with her, as she was leaving school alone, walking back to her house. “I need to talk to you.”

It had been about a week since her and Mason had their conversation in the hallway. She had been doing her best to steer clear of him, and he seemed to be doing the same.

It was for the best.

She turned and smiled softly, which came a little as a grimace, as it often did these days. “Sure, Noah. What’s up?”

“Not here, come on. It’s important!” He pulled her by the hand to a secluded corner of the student parking lot, behind a column.

“What is it?” She asked, confused.

“I got to tell you something.” He took a deep breath and did not let her hands go, even as his were shaking slightly. “Look, these few days we spent together were great. You’re a great girl, and I like spending time with you.”

“I like spending time with you, too, Noah.” She beamed at him. “You’re the coolest person I know.”

He smirked at her. “Good. Good. Well, Emma, I like you, and before you ask, yes, I _like_ like you. I want to go out with you. If you have me.”

“Oh.” She breathed out. “ _Oh_. Noah, I’m really sorry, but… My heart is filled out by someone else. I care about you, and I really want you to be happy, but I am not it.”

“I see.” He said, in an even voice. “It’s Mason, then? For real?”

“For real.” The girl echoed, filled with certainty. “I’m sorry.”

“That’s OK. I just wanted to have you know.” Noah smiled, ruefully. “By the way, how has it been with him?”

“I haven’t seen him in a few days. Since...” Her voice trailed off and Noah nodded.

“I’m assuming you’ve heard him and Ava broke up?”

She came to an abrupt stop and her head whipped over. “What?!”

He shot her a cheeky grin. “Mason broke up with her. Look!”

He nodded at the general direction of a few cars over, where Ava was standing extremely close in front of Chad, another football player, whose hand was on her waist, her giggling up at him.

Her jaw dropped. “But… What is _that_ about?”

“You know, if I were you, I’d go find Mason. I think he might have something to say to you.” Noah winked, humoured. “He’s on the football pitch.”

She frowned. “How did you know? Did he put you up to it?”

Noah laughed. “Hell no. I am serious. I just needed to make sure you were sure about Mason, and to let you know that you had options, and to show you Ava’s new boy, too.”

“Noah, I am…”

“Go get him.” Noah cut she off with a gentle nudge towards the direction of the pitch.

With a nod, she made her way to the pitch as fast as she could, before she realized it began snowing and a cold wind was picking up. She pulled her coat further around her, pushing long strands of hair out of her face as she rushed over the grass, her eyes falling on a familiar figure.

“Mason, what are you doing?” She called out.

As she headed closer, she saw him look up at she and grin, “What do you think I’m doing? Football practice!”

“It’s freezing out here, and the season is over!” She exclaimed. He leant on his tackle dummy as he watched she walk over to him. “I heard you broke up with Ava. Or, well, Noah told me and I saw her with Chad.”

He nodded, his sweat-soaked hair sticking to his cheeks as she came to a stop in front of him.

“He did, eh? Did he tell you why I broke up with her?”

She shook her head.

“Because of this.”

Suddenly he crashed his lips to hers.

It was a desperate kiss, one that made her toes curl as he dropped his helmet to the ground to grip her hips. It was mostly a clashing of teeth to begin with and she hit his nose with her own a couple of times before she both began moving in sync, ignoring how the snow was falling down around them.

He pulled away slightly, staring down at she the way she always dreamed he would, but the reality was much, much better.

He rested his forehead against her own, both of she shivering from the cold yet in no hurry to get back inside. The corner of his lips turned upwards into a smirk.

“It’s you, Emma. You’re it for me. Fuck, I love you. I have loved for years. You never seemed like you felt the same so I assumed you didn’t feel the same. You never said anything so I tried to get over you but... I couldn’t be with Ava anymore when I found out you were an option. The best option. The only option I want.”

As he leant down to kiss her again, standing with her in his arms, her clothes soaked through and her shoes filling with freezing water, Emma could not help the smile that began to creep onto her face. She had fantasised about this moment over and over again, and now… Now it was finally happening.

It was better than she could have ever imagined.


End file.
